Paper handling machine



L. R. TUFTS 1,987,352

PAPER HANDLING MACHINE Filed Jan. 23, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 8,1935.

ATTORNEY-5,

fi N INVENTOR L sley. 7'105'6:

Jan. 8, 1935. R. TUFTS 1,987,352

PAPER HANDLING MACHINE Filed Jan. 23. 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 m N :3 z sHI .1 11 1| 1| ml 111 1111 1| 'II I I Q 1 N I \I1 1 H H u [I I} I g g: 11 l W1 11" -1, a

I 1 A g :8 INVENToR O N Zea-lg fif rg ATTORNEY5 Jan. 8, 1935. R. TUFTSPAPER HANDLING MACHINE Filed Jan. 23, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 :1 I I 4 l ll l I l I l l l :l

INVENTOR Lesley 7E, Tufs. Z u

Jan; 8, 1935. L. R TUFTS 1,987,352

PAPER HANDLING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR LesZ yZE. T20 127 ATTORNEYS Jan. 8, 1935 R TUFTS 1,987,352

PAPER HANDLING MACHINE Filed Jan. 23. 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORATTORN EY5.

Patented Jan. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAPER HANDLING MACHINELesley R. Tufts, East Cleveland, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments,to The Cleveland Foldmg Machine Company, Mentor Township, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio.

Application January 23, 1930, Serial No. 422,718

28 Claims.

ing machines of the buckle fold type, to make cross-feed tablesremovable, in order that a sheet stacker may be inserted in placethereof. By this means it is possible to bring a stacker into suchposition that it is adapted to receive and handle the sheets immediatelyfollowing the last operation performed upon them, in other words, toeliminate travel of the sheets through such portions of the machine asare not in actual operation at the time.

The removal of a feed table and the substitution of a stacker thereforcalls for a complete separate stacker structure, at a considerable extraexpense. Furthermore, the substitution of one part for the other alsorequires some little time, attention and effort each time the change ismade, and when one or the other of these parts is out of the machine andbeing handled or stored in the shop, it is more subject to damage thanwhen mounted in the machine.

One of the objects of the invention, therefore, is a reduction in costand a saving in time and eifort by the provision of apparatuspermanently mounted in the machine, which shall serve either as across-feed table or as a stacker.

Another object is the provision of means of this character, adapted topermit the quick and easy conversion from feed table to stacker, andvice versa.

Still another object is theprovision, in a paper handling machine, of afeed table comprising a series of belts or tapes set at an angle to theside guide, together with means for preventing the forward corners ofthe sheets, remote from the side guide, from engaging against the edgeor beneath the surface of the adjacent belt or tape.

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for drivinga belt'conveyor selectively at either high or low speed, so as to enablethe conveyor to function as an ordinary feed table or as a stacker.

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed with thedescription of that embodiment of the invention which, for the purposesof the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view ofa buckle type folding machine embodying the invention, the section beingtaken substantially on the line 11 of Fig. 3.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same, takensubstantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3. is a plan view of the machine with certain parts in section,substantially on the line I 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmental horizontal sectional View on a larger scale,illustrating the driving mechanism for the belts of the combined feedtable and stacker, and the means for selectively connecting the belts toeither the high speed gearing or the low speed ratchet mechanism.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross section taken substantially on the line 55of Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view, looking substantially in the directionof the arrows 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmental plan view on a larger scale, showing one cornerof the combination cross-feed table and stacker, certain parts beingremoved and others shown in section, in order to more fully illustratethe invention.

Figures 8, 9, 10 and 11 are vertical sectional views taken substantiallyon the lines 88, 9-9, 10-10 and 1111 respectively of Fig. '7.

Figure 12 is a transverse vertical sectional View taken substantially onthe line 12-12 of Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters refer to like parts throughout the views.

In the drawings I have illustrated the invention in connection with abuckle type folding machine, comprising a frame 10 of any suitable ordesirable construction. Upon this frame is mounted a primary feed table.Insofar as certain aspects of the invention are concerned, this tablemay be of any known construction, but I prefer to form it as hereinillustrated, wherein I employ a substantially flat rigid element or slab11, constructed preferably of wood and set into the frame of the machineat a slight angle, as shown in Fig. 3. Near the corners of the slab 11 Imount brackets 12 and 13, which carry bearings for the shafts of rollers14 and 15, respectively. Upon these rollers are mounted a series ofbelts or tapes 16, which run upon or in close proximity to the fiatupper surface of the slab 11. As shown in Fig. 3 the brackets 13 may beadjustably supported, whereby the tension of the belts or tapes 16 canbe conveniently regulated.

At one side of the primary feed table I mount a side guide 17,comprising a vertical wall along which the sheets travel, and anoverhanging, substantially horizontal portion, having openingstherethrough adapted to receive balls 18 or other forms of rollers,constituting yieldable means for holding the sheets of paper in contactwith the belt 16 directly therebeneath.

In some cases the sheets fed into the machine will not be wide enough tocontact the second belt or tape 16, and in other cases the width will besuch-as to overlap completely the second or some succeeding belt, whilenot contacting at all with the belt next beyond.

Where the width of the sheets fed, however, is such that their forwardouter corners will first contact with the top of the slab 11 and willlater run into a belt 16, as they travel over the table, I havediscovered that trouble will result unless provision is made to takecare of this condition, as the outer corners of the sheets will notuniformly rise above such belt,,but will engage either beneath the beltor against the edge thereof.

In order to. overcome this difficulty, however, I have devised adeflector constructed to extend below the principal surface of the slab11, whereby the outer edges of the sheets must necessarily ride up ontothe deflector, the latter being arranged to "overhang the adjacent belt,so that the .side edges, thus deflected upwardly, will be guided safelyonto the upper surface of the belt. I preferably employ but a singledeflector plate of this character, and mount it in such manner thatitmay be positioned adjacent the second-or any succeeding belt of thetable and at the required position along the length of the belt. This Ihave found to be a desirable arrangement, because .it interferes, to aminimum extent only, with the sheet conveying functions of the belt.

In the present instance the feed table is provided with side rails 19,upon which are mounted to slide, blocks 20 that may be held in adjustedposition by set screws'Zl. In these blocks I mount a cross rail 22 thatcarries a depending foot 23, which ma'y be slid upon the rail 22 and.held in various positions thereupon by a set screw 24. At the bottom:of this fact 23 is the deflector plate 25. In the upper surface of theslab 11, parallel and adjacent to the various belts 16, I form grooves26, into any one of which the free "edge-of the plate '25 is adapted toextend, in order that the latter may lie beneath the principal surfaceof the slab, and hence beneath a sheet of paper travelling over theslab. The rear ends of the rails 19 may be supported by merely restingupon a rail 27 of a sheet feeder, employed in connection with thefolding or other paper handling machine in which the present inventionis embodied.

The primary feed table includes a plate 28, over which the sheets arefed in their travel into the first fold section of the machine. This:fold section may comprise fold rollers 29, 30, 31,32 and 33 and foldplates 34, 3'5 and 36, all of conventional form and construction. Fromthe rolls 32-33 the sheets travel over a curved :guide plate 134, intofeed rolls 37 and 38, by means of which the sheets are delivered onto mycom-binedcross-feed table and sheet stacker. The latter comprises aWooden or other slab 39, supported in the side members of the frame 10by suitable means, as by the brackets and bolts 40 and 4-1 this slabextending laterally beyond the main frame of the machine, in order todirect sheets into the second fold section, as will later appear.

In brackets 42, secured to the bottom of the slab 39., I mount rotatablya shaft 43, to which is keyed a roller 44. Belts or tapes and 46 runover this roller and the slab 39. The belts 45 on the opposite side ofthe slab run over short rollers 47, which are rotatably mounted inbrackets 48, the latter being adjustably secured to the bottom surfaceof the slab by bolt and slot connections, which permit proper tensioningof the belts.

The two belts 46 run upon short rollers 49 that are fixed upon a shaft50, which is rotatably mounted in bearings 51 and 52, carried by aspecial bracket 53, the latter being secured by bolt and slotconnections 54--55 against the lower surface of the slab 39. The belts46 may thus also be tensioned. A transverse guide rail 56 is removablysupported at the outer edge of the slab 39, by means of two brackets 57which are secured to the guide and extend beneath the table, where theyprovided with perforations for the reception of winged studs 58 that arethreade'd into the bracket 53 in one case, and into a separate bracket59 in the other.

The bracket 53 also carries bearings 60 and 61, in which are rotatablymounted the shafts of short rollers 62 and 63, respectively, thatprotrude through openings 64 provided therefor in the outer edge of theslab 39. These rollers extend upwardly slightly above the surface of theslab 39, and are beveled on their inner ends, in order to guide thesheets into position upon the upper surfaces of the rollers. The shaftsupon which theserollers are mounted carry bevel gears 65 on their outerextremities, which mesh with bevel gears '66 that are pinned to theshaft 50. In this manner the rollers 62 and 63 receive their drivingforce from the belts 46. The guide rail 56 is provided with openingsdirectly above the rollers -62 and 63, within which openings balls 67,

or other forms of rollers, are mounted, so as to bear yieldingly uponsheets passing over the rollers, and thereby to hold them in goodfrictional engagement with the rollers. If desired, spring fingers '68may be detachably mounted upon the l guide rail L56 for engagement withthe balls 67 to increase the pressure of the same upon the rollers. Onlyone of these balls is illustrated in the drawings, that for the roller'62 being omitted, together with the end of the guide rail, in order tomore clearly disclose the roller.

When the combined table and stacker is to be used to perform thefunctions of a stacker, the guide rail 56, with its balls 67, is removedand a pan 69 is mounted on the machine in position to 2 receive sheetsfrom the stacker. This pan com- ;prises a pair of rods 70, which serveas reinforcements, and protrude far enough to enter holes.provided'therefor in the bracket '53 and 59, thereby removablysupporting the pan.

When the Work in hand requires cross folding, the sheets are deliveredby the cross-feed table into a second fold section, comprising foldrolls 7-1, 72, 73, 74 and 75, and fold plates 76, 77 and 78. From thisfold section the sheets may be delivered over a curved guide plate 79and through feed rolls -80 and :81 onto'a second combined feed table andstacker 82, or any other desired sheet handling apparatus.

The machine may comprise a pulley 83, driven from any convenient sourceof power with a belt -84, the pulley 83 being attached to an extensionof the roll 30. The rolls of the first fold section are intergeared, bymeans of a gear train 85, which also transmits -power to the roller 14of the primary feed table. To the end of the roll 30, on the oppositeside of the machine, is secured asprocket wheel, over which runs a chain86 that also extends around a sprocket attached to a short shaft 87.This shaft operates through bevel gears 88 and 89 to drive a train "ofgears 90 for rotating the 'rolls' of the second fold section, while achain 91 driven by one of these rolls transmits rotation to a shaft 92,and thence to the feed rolls 80 and 81 and the combined feed table andstacker 82.

On the shaft 87, inside the machine frame, I

.mount a gear 93, which meshes with a gear 94 on a shaft 95. The lattershaft at its opposite end, but inside the machine frame, carries a gear96. Outside the machine frame an eccentric 97 is keyed to the shaft. Inaddition to the bearings in the brackets 42, shaft 43 is provided with afurther bearing in an extension arm 197, which is also secured to thebottom of slab 39. The corresponding end of the shaft 43 has a reducedportion surrounded by three bushings, 99, and 101.

The bushing 99 provides a bearing for the shaft.

Bushing 100 is mounted within a collar 102, from .which extend arms 103and 104. Into the arm 103 isthreaded a pivot stud 105, upon which ismounted a pawl 106, that is pressed inwardly toward the center of thecollar by a leaf spring 107. To the outer end of arm 104 is pivoted anarm 108, which is integral with an eccentric sleeve 109 surrounding theeccentric 97.

- Upon the bushing 101 there is mounted a collar 110, carrying acircular ratchet that is engaged by the pawl 106, and adapted to berotated thereby intermittently in the direction of the arrow in Fig.

5. On the inner end of this collar is formed one part of a dog clutch,the other part of which is formed upon the end of a sleeve 111 that isslidable upon the shaft 43, but is prevented from turning with respectthereto by a key 112 working in a key-way 113 formed in the sleeve.Hence, when the sleeve 111 is moved toward the left from its position inFig. 4, to cause the two parts of the dog clutch to engage, the collarand its ratchet are looked through the sleeve 111 to the shaft 43. Thesleeve 111 also carries a gear 213,whichis adapted to mesh with a gear96, as illustrated in Fig. 4, whereby continuous rotation is transmittedfrom shaft 95 to shaft 43 through the sleeve 111. In order to releasablyhold the sleeve 111, in either of its two operative positions, I formannular .grooves 114 and 115 in the shaft 43, one of which grooves isengaged by a ball detent 116 under pressure from a coil spring 117whenever the sleeve is moved into one of its operative positions. Theball and spring 116-11'7 are located in an annular enlargement 113 ofthe sleeve, by means of which it may be conveniently grasped by theoperator when it is to be moved along the shaft.

Assuming that it is desired to impart one or more cross folds to thesheets to be handled, the operator then places the sleeve 111 in theposition illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. He also mounts the guide rail 56upon the slab 39. Hence, sheets delivered by the primary feed. tablewill pass through the first fold section and be delivered onto the tapesor belts 44 and 46, the latter running substantially at the speed of thetravel of the sheets up to that point. Each sheet, therefore, movesrapidly across the slab 39 and passes between the balls 67 and the shortrollers 62 and 63 up against the vertical part of the guide rail 56. Therollers 62 and 63, being set at an angle, insure contact of the sheetswith the guide rail 56, and as the sheet is gripped between theserollers and the balls 67 it is fed rapidly over the table, along theguide rail 56, and into the second fold section.

Now, should the job in hand call for parallel folds only, the operatorshifts the sleeve 111 to the left from the position illustrated in Fig.4, disengaging the gears 96 and 213, and causing the two parts of thedog clutch to engageeach other. He also removes the guide rail 56 andpushes the pan 69 into operative position, as illustrated in dottedlines in Figs. 1 and 3.

The shaft 43 will now be driven intermittently toward movement of thesheets transverselyais present. Hence they are fed slowly' over thestacker and into the pan 69.

While in the foregoing description and in the accompanying drawings Ihave disclosed, more or less in detail, one particular embodiment of theinvention, I desire it to be understood that such detailed disclosurehas been resorted to primarily for the purpose of fully illustrating theinvention, in accordance with the requirements of the statute, and isnot to be construed as amounting to a limitation upon the scope of theinvention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. In a feed table forpaper handling machines, a side guide, a conveyor belt running over saidtable at an angle to the side guide, and a deflector plate extendingdownwardly below the principal surface of the table and upwardly oversaid belt for directing the forward outer corners of the 3. In a feedtable for paper handling machines,

a side guide, a series of conveyor belts running over said table at anangle to the side guide, and means adjustable upon said table bothlongitudinally and transversely thereof to positions adjacent any ofsaid belts for directing the forward outer corners of the sheets ontothe upper face of the adjacent belt.

4. In a feed table for paper handling machines, a side guide, a conveyorbelt running over said table at an angle to the side guide, said tablehaving a groove therein adjacent said belt on the side thereof towardsaid side guide, and a deflector plate extending downwardly into saidgroove and upwardly over the adjacent edge of said belt, whereby theforward outer corners of the sheets are directed onto the upper surfaceof the belt.

5. In a paper handling machine, a table; a conveyor belt runningthereover, means for operating said belt at high speed whereby itisadapted V to feed sheets of paper in rapid succession, and

means for driving said belt at slow speed, where by the table is adaptedto function as a stacker.

6. In a paper handling machine, a table, a conveyor belt runningthereover, removable means .a stacker when said first named means is re-I moved and said :slow speed driving means is employed.

7. In a paper handling machine, a cross-feed table, means for delivering:sheets onto said table, a conveyor belt running over said table inthe'direction of delivery of said sheets, removable means associatedwith said table for directing sheets thereover at right angles to thedirection of movement of said belt, and means for driving said beltselectively at high or low speed.

table, two spaced conveyor belts running over said table, a guidearranged transversely of said belts, and continuously running meanslocated between said belts for imparting driving force to the sheets ina direction transversely of said belts,

said means being adapted to force the sheets against said guide.

.10. In a machine of the class described, a feed table, two spacedconveyor belts running over said table, a guide arranged transversely ofsaid belts, means located between said belts for imparting driving forceto the under surfaces of the sheets in a direction transversely of saidbelts, and yieldable means for holding the sheets against said drivingmeans.

11. In a machine of the class described, a feed table, two spacedconveyor belts running over said table, a guide arranged transversely ofsaid belts, means located between said belts for imparting driving forceto the under'surfaces of the sheets in a direction transversely of saidbelts, and yieldable means carried by said guide for holding the sheetsagainst said driving means.

12. In a machine of the class described, a feed table, two-spacedconveyor belts running over said table, a guide arranged transversely ofsaid belts, "means located between said belts for imparting drivingforce to the under surfaces of the sheets in adi-rection transversely ofsaid belts, and rollers yieldingly mounted in said guide and adapted torun upon the sheets above said driving means.

13. In a machine of the class described, a feed table two spacedconveyor belts running over said table, a guide arranged transversely ofsaid belts, a roller arranged between said belts at a slight angle withrespect thereto, means for rotating saidroller, whereby driving forcemaybe imparted to the under surfaces of the sheets, and yielding meansfor holding the sheets against said roller.

14. In a machine of the class described, a feed table, two spacedconveyor belts running over said table, a guide removably mounted on thetable transversely of the belts, means located between said belts forimparting driving force to the sheets in a direction transverse to saidbelts,

.yieldable means carried by said guide for holding iheusheets againstsaid driving means, and means for driving said belts selectively ateither high or low speed.

15. In combination, a pair of spaced parallel frollers, a conveyor beltrunning over said rollers,

one of said rollers having a shaft, gearing adapted to drive said shaftat high speed, ratchet mechanism adapted to drive said shaftintermittently, means for clutching saidgearing or ratchet mech- 1,9s7,sn2

:anism to the shaft selectively, and a sheet guiding means adapted to be.removably positioned above said belt;

16. In amachine of the class described, a crossfeed table, a beltrunning thereover, means for driving said belt, a cross-feed rollermounted on saidtable adapted to move sheets transversely to thedirection of movement of said belt, and means associated withsaid beltfor driving said roller.

17. In a feed table for paper handling machines, a side guide, aconveyor belt running over said table at an angle to the side guide, anda deflector shorter than the paper engaging portion of saidbeltadjustable to any one of a plurality of positions :along the length ofsaid belt, said deflector being adapted to direct the forward outercorners of the sheets upwardly over said belt.

18. In a feed tablefor paper handling machines, a side guide, a conveyorbelt running over said table at an angle to the side guide, and adeflector shorter than the paper engaging portion of said beltadjustable to any one of a plurality of positions along the side thereoftowards said side guide, said deflector being adapted to direct theforward outer corners of the sheets upwardly over said Mlt.

19. In a feed table for paper handling machines, a side guide, aconveyor belt running over said table at an angle to the side guide, anda deflector adjustable to any one of a plurality of positions along theside of the belt towards said side guide, said deflector extending belowthe principal surface of the table and upwardly at an angle to the tableto direct the forward outer corners of the sheetsupwardly over saidbelt.

20. In a feed table for paper handling machines, a side guide, aconveyor belt running over said table at an angle to the side guide, anda deflector terminatingbehind the forward end of the belt having aninclined surface toward said side guide and a'surface overhanging saidbelt, whereby the .forward outer corners of the sheets are directedupwardly over the edge of the belt.

21.'In a paper handling machine, a table, a conveyor running thereover,mechanism for selectively operating the conveyor continuously orintermittently, cross feed means associated with the conveyor andincluding one or more rollers mounted on the table, and a sheet guidemounted ing of sheets by said conveyor when said mechanism isdisconnected.

23. In a. paper handling machine, a table, a conveyor running thereover,mechanism for selectively operating said conveyor at high or low speed,cross feed means associated with the conveyor including one or morerollers mounted on said table, and a sheet guide mounted on the tableand adapted for removal therefrom to enable stacking of sheets by saidconveyor when itis operated at low speed.

24. In a paper handling machine, a table, a plurality of sheet handlingbelts or tapes running over the table, cross feed means mounted on thetable and associated with the sheet handling belts or tapes for movingthe sheets over the latter and said table transversely to theirdirection of delivery thereon, means for disabling said cross feedmeans, and means for selectively imparting sheet feeding or sheetstacking motion to said sheet handling belts or tapes.

25. In a machine of the class described, two spaced conveyor belts, aguide removably mounted on the machine above said belts transverselythereto, means mounted between said belts for imparting driving force tothe sheets in a direction transverse to the belts, yieldable meanscarried by said guide for holding the sheets against said driving means,and means for driving said belts selectively at either high or lowspeed.

26. In a machine of the class described, a table, a sheet conveyorrunning thereover, mechanism for operating said conveyor either at sheetfeeding speed or at sheet stacking speed selectively, cross feedingmeans associated with the conveyor and mounted on the table, and crossguiding means adapted to be removably positioned on said table adjacentthe conveyor.

27. In a machine of the class described, a table, a sheet conveyorrunning thereover, mechanism for operating said conveyor either at sheetfeeding speed or at sheet stacking speed selectively, means on saidtable for moving sheets ofi said conveyor in a lateral directiontransverse to the direction of movement imparted thereto by theconveyor, and means for disabling said last named means.

28. In combination, a sheet conveyor, gearing adapted to drive saidconveyor continuously at high speed, ratchet mechanism adapted to drivesaid conveyor intermittently, means for clutching said gearing orratchet mechanism to the conveyor selectively, and a sheet guiding meansadapted to be removably positioned adjacent the conveyor transversely tothe direction of movement imparted to sheets by said conveyor.

LESLEY R. TUF'IS.

